Wednesday; September 7

While I don’t have a problem with people who do, I don’t have religious sayings or symbols on my vehicle. In fact, I don’t wear a cross or have a Christian symbol tattooed on my body. The main reason I don’t have any of these probably goes back to a religious theory from when I was a child. Again, I am not offended by these displays, but if someone chooses to do this there needs to be a caution. If someone is going to advertise their beliefs, they’d better be prepared to live them. If we claim to be Christians, we’d better be living the lifestyle. The conflict between displaying religious symbols and living a carnal lifestyle is called hypocrisy. There are several issues with being a hypocrite, but one of the most dangerous is that when people see it they are apt to be put off by it. They might tend to be inspired by the claims, but they are almost certain to be repelled by the inconsistency.

Jesus (who was known to call out hypocrites) understood this dissonance when He said, “So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:20-21). As the old saying goes, the proof is in the pudding.

Let’s live up to the claims we make about out lifestyle. When we do, people will feel comfortable to follow our lead.

Think About It!

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